US20230041281A1 - Truss foundation adapters for single-axis trackers - Google Patents
Truss foundation adapters for single-axis trackers Download PDFInfo
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- US20230041281A1 US20230041281A1 US17/968,585 US202217968585A US2023041281A1 US 20230041281 A1 US20230041281 A1 US 20230041281A1 US 202217968585 A US202217968585 A US 202217968585A US 2023041281 A1 US2023041281 A1 US 2023041281A1
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Images
Classifications
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- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S30/00—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules
- F24S30/40—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules for rotary movement
- F24S30/42—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules for rotary movement with only one rotation axis
- F24S30/425—Horizontal axis
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
- E04C3/00—Structural elongated elements designed for load-supporting
- E04C3/38—Arched girders or portal frames
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E02—HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING; FOUNDATIONS; SOIL SHIFTING
- E02D—FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS; UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES
- E02D27/00—Foundations as substructures
- E02D27/32—Foundations for special purposes
- E02D27/50—Anchored foundations
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04C—STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS; BUILDING MATERIALS
- E04C3/00—Structural elongated elements designed for load-supporting
- E04C3/02—Joists; Girders, trusses, or trusslike structures, e.g. prefabricated; Lintels; Transoms; Braces
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
- F24S25/60—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules
- F24S25/61—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules for fixing to the ground or to building structures
- F24S25/617—Elements driven into the ground, e.g. anchor-piles; Foundations for supporting elements; Connectors for connecting supporting structures to the ground or to flat horizontal surfaces
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H02—GENERATION; CONVERSION OR DISTRIBUTION OF ELECTRIC POWER
- H02S—GENERATION OF ELECTRIC POWER BY CONVERSION OF INFRARED RADIATION, VISIBLE LIGHT OR ULTRAVIOLET LIGHT, e.g. USING PHOTOVOLTAIC [PV] MODULES
- H02S20/00—Supporting structures for PV modules
- H02S20/30—Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment
- H02S20/32—Supporting structures being movable or adjustable, e.g. for angle adjustment specially adapted for solar tracking
-
- E—FIXED CONSTRUCTIONS
- E04—BUILDING
- E04B—GENERAL BUILDING CONSTRUCTIONS; WALLS, e.g. PARTITIONS; ROOFS; FLOORS; CEILINGS; INSULATION OR OTHER PROTECTION OF BUILDINGS
- E04B1/00—Constructions in general; Structures which are not restricted either to walls, e.g. partitions, or floors or ceilings or roofs
- E04B1/32—Arched structures; Vaulted structures; Folded structures
- E04B2001/3235—Arched structures; Vaulted structures; Folded structures having a grid frame
- E04B2001/3241—Frame connection details
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
- F24S2025/01—Special support components; Methods of use
- F24S2025/014—Methods for installing support elements
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
- F24S2025/01—Special support components; Methods of use
- F24S2025/019—Means for accommodating irregularities on mounting surface; Tolerance compensation means
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
- F24S25/60—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules
- F24S2025/6005—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules by screwed connection
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S25/00—Arrangement of stationary mountings or supports for solar heat collector modules
- F24S25/60—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules
- F24S2025/6006—Fixation means, e.g. fasteners, specially adapted for supporting solar heat collector modules by using threaded elements, e.g. stud bolts
-
- F—MECHANICAL ENGINEERING; LIGHTING; HEATING; WEAPONS; BLASTING
- F24—HEATING; RANGES; VENTILATING
- F24S—SOLAR HEAT COLLECTORS; SOLAR HEAT SYSTEMS
- F24S30/00—Arrangements for moving or orienting solar heat collector modules
- F24S2030/10—Special components
- F24S2030/17—Spherical joints
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/40—Solar thermal energy, e.g. solar towers
- Y02E10/47—Mountings or tracking
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E10/00—Energy generation through renewable energy sources
- Y02E10/50—Photovoltaic [PV] energy
Definitions
- Truss foundations have the potential to save steel relative to plumb monopiles because they are able to translate lateral wind loads into axial forces of tension and compression in the legs, and therefore, may be constructed with lighter weight components and embedded to shallower depths.
- the additional complexity, however, of constructing a multi-component truss may negate some of this advantage. Therefore, to allow A-frame-shaped truss foundations to achieve their full savings potential, the installation process must also be simple. Simplicity, however, must not come at the expense of accuracy.
- the various embodiments of the invention provide truss structures that are relative fast and easy to install while still providing angular adjustability between below-ground and above-ground components at their connection points.
- FIG. 1 is a truss foundation supporting a single-axis trackers
- FIG. 2 A is a front view of a Y-shaped truss adapter for single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 2 B is a perspective view of another Y-shaped truss adapter for single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 2 C is a front view of the Y-shaped truss adapter of 2 B;
- FIGS. 3 A and 3 B are front views of a Y-shaped truss adapter for single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention set to different heights;
- FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another Y-shaped truss adapter for single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 5 A is a perspective view of the Y-shaped truss adapter of FIG. 4 with adjustable screw anchor coupling assembly according to various embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 5 B is a partially exploded view of the adjustable screw anchor coupling assembly of FIG. 5 A according to various embodiments of the invention.
- FIGS. 6 A-C are various views the screw anchor coupling assembly of FIGS. 5 A and 5 B according to various embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 7 A is a front view of a single axis tracker supported by a Y-shaped truss adapter and truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 7 B is a partially exploded close-up view of interface between the single-axis tracker of FIG. 7 A and Y-shaped truss adapter according to various embodiments of the invention
- FIG. 8 A is a front view of another single-axis tracker supported by a Y-shaped truss adapter and truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 8 B is a partially exploded close-up view of interface between the single-axis tracker of FIG. 8 A and the Y-shaped truss adapter according to various embodiments of the invention;
- FIG. 9 is a front view of another single-axis tracker and double-Y-shaped bearing adapter and truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention.
- FIGS. 10 A and 10 B show front views of respective asymmetrical Y-shaped truss adapters for supporting single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention.
- FIG. 1 this figure shows a truss foundation system 10 for a single-axis tracker that uses a pair of adjacent truss legs 12 extending above and below ground.
- a pair of adjacent screw anchors 13 have been driven into underlying ground so that their respective above-ground ends are angled or leaning towards one another.
- several of these adjacent screw anchor pairs would be driven along an intended North-South oriented single-axis tracker row.
- Each screw anchor 13 has a thread form extending from its below ground end along a portion of its length and terminates terminate in driving coupler 14 that is splined or otherwise shaped to mate with the head of a rotary driver so that torque and down force can be imparted to it during driving.
- a pair of upper legs 15 are joined to screw anchors 13 via couplers 14 .
- adapter 20 joins the free ends of each upper leg 15 .
- adapter 20 has a main body portion 22 and a pair of connecting portions 24 .
- connecting portions 24 may consist of tubular portions having a smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter of upper leg sections 15 so that they can be inserted into the open end of respective ones of upper legs 15 to make rigid A-frame-shaped truss foundation structure 10 .
- Single-axis tracker bearing assembly 100 sits on and is attached to main body portion 22 of truss adapter 20 .
- Bearing assembly 100 includes a circular bearing that receives torque tube 200 .
- anchors 13 , upper legs 15 and connecting portions 24 are oriented so that the truss legs are separated by an angle in a range of 35-degrees up to 80-degrees corresponding to truss leg angles of 72.5 degrees down to 50-degrees.
- Crimp joints may be used to secure upper legs 15 to driving coupler 14 and to connecting portions 24 of adapter 20 .
- truss foundations are advantageous relative to monopiles because they translate lateral wind loads into axial forces of tension and compression rather than bending. Because individual structural members are good at resisting axial loads relative to their ability to resist bending, smaller foundation components may be used to support the same tracker.
- having two-piece legs allows for adjustability at the interface between anchors 13 and upper legs 15 as well as between the upper legs 13 and adapter 20 , it also adds time and complexity to the installation.
- various embodiments replace the two-piece truss legs and adapter with a single pair of screw anchors 13 and universal adapter that combines the functionality of the upper legs 13 and adapter 15 shown in FIG. 1 . This is seen, for example, in FIG. 2 A .
- FIG. 2 A is a front view of a generic, universal Y-shaped adapter 30 for use with a truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention.
- Adapter 30 may be cast, stamped, or welded. It has central mounting portion 34 and legs 32 extending away from mounting portion 34 that are generally symmetric about a midline through central mounting portion 34 .
- Mounting portion 34 may have two or more slots formed in the web region between flanges and may also have one or slots formed in the opposing flanges on either side the web region, though not visible in the front view of 2 A.
- legs portions 32 are joined to screw anchors 13 via driving couplers 14 .
- Driving couplers 14 may be attached to above-ground ends of screw anchors 13 to provide an interface for a rotary driver as well as mechanism to attach adapter 30 .
- leg portions 32 may terminate in tubular coupler portions as with adapter 20 shown in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 2 B is a perspective view of another universal Y-shaped adapter 40 according to various embodiments of the invention.
- Adapter 40 is also shown as being formed from a pair of Y-shaped sections re either spot welded or bolted together so that they have substantially the same geometry on either side, however, the specific construction is a design choice.
- Y-shaped adapter 40 also has central mounting portion 44 and leg portions 42 that extend downward and away from central mounting portion 44 .
- Opposing flanges circumscribe the entire body to provide stiffness as well as a mounting surface for flange-mounted tracker components.
- mounting holes may pass through the web of the central mounting portion 44 . Additionally, mounting holes may pass through flanges portions circumscribing mounting portion 44 .
- FIG. 2 C is a front view of adapter 40 shown in 2 B showing the substantially symmetric geometry.
- FIGS. 3 A and 3 B show adapter 40 of FIGS. 2 B /C attached to screw anchor foundations 13 .
- adapter 40 is sitting on screw anchors 13 to present mounting portion at height H 1 for the tracker bearing components.
- additional above-ground upper legs portions are not needed.
- the mounting height is set by the length of screw anchors 13 as well as their depth of the embedment.
- longer screw anchors may be used to raise the mounting height.
- FIG. 3 B shows the same Y-shaped adapter 40 of 3 A set on longer screw anchors 11 that have been driven so that a greater length remains above ground. This will require driving the anchors into the ground at a greater distance apart so that the straight-line distance between their terminal above-ground ends remains the same. In this case, the resultant mounting height is raised to H 2 , a distance greater than H 1 .
- FIG. 4 shows another Y-shaped universal adapter 50 according to various embodiments of the invention.
- adapter 50 Rather than having a continuous flange circumscribing its outer edge, adapter 50 presents an H-pile like geometry at its central mounting portion 54 .
- Central mounting portion 54 includes preformed slots in the web and flange portions for attaching to various bearing assemblies of single-axis trackers.
- the distal end of each leg portion 52 includes flanges to create a larger surface area to mount to mounting plate 51 attached to the end of each screw anchor 11 .
- plates 51 may be used instead of driving couplers 14 shown in FIG. 1 .
- the rotary driver used to drive screw anchors 11 into the ground may have a set of projections that fit within openings formed in mounting plate 51 .
- mounting plates 51 have a plurality of mounting slots to ensure that one will line up with corresponding slots and/or openings at the distal end of leg portions 52 of adapter 50 .
- FIGS. 5 A and 5 B like the adapter shown in FIG. 4 , these figure show universal Y-shaped adapter 50 that presents an H-pile like geometry at the central mounting 54 with flange and web mounting slots.
- this adapter includes ball-shaped connectors 64 that are welded, bolted, or otherwise attached to terminal ends 53 of each leg portion 52 .
- Ball-shaped connectors 64 are designed to fit into reciprocal sockets formed in driving coupler 61 affixed to the end of screw anchors 13 . Together, ball-shaped connector 64 , coupler 61 and retaining nut 65 make up adjustable coupling assembly 60 that allows angular articulation within the socket, between components.
- FIG. 5 B shows specific details of a coupling assembly 60 interconnecting leg portions 52 of adapter 50 to screw anchors 13 .
- the above-ground end of each screw anchor 13 includes coupler 61 .
- Coupler 61 provides a splined tool surface 62 for a rotary driver to selectively engage with to drive anchors 13 into the ground. It also provides a female socket structure 63 to receive ball-shaped connectors 64 . Then, retaining nut 65 is torqued down over socket structure 63 and connectors 64 to lock universal Y-shaped adapter 50 to anchors 13 at the desired angular orientation.
- female socket structure 63 will have external threads and openings to enable it to expand to receive ball shaped connectors 64 and retract under the compressive pressure of retaining nut 65 .
- FIGS. 6 A /B/C show close-up views of coupling assembly 60 at various stages of engagement.
- this figure is an exploded view of a portion of coupling system 60 .
- driving coupler 61 includes a series of driving features (splined tool surface 62 ) that circumscribe the outer surface of the coupler.
- coupler 61 is welded or otherwise attached to the end of screw anchor 13 .
- These driving features are positively engaged by a driving head or chuck of a rotary driver to transfer rotational force to the screw anchor to cause it to screw into the ground. After the desired depth has been reached, the rotary driver is backed off, leaving behind female socket structure 63 of coupler 61 .
- Female socket structure 63 includes several tangs arranged in a tubular pattern projecting upward away from the driving features of tool surface 62 .
- tangs are formed by cutting slots at regular intervals into the receiving portion 63 . Cutting tangs allows the coupler to elastically deform when ball-shaped connector 64 is pressed into the receiving portion, in this example, female socket structure 63 .
- a positive thread form is stamped otherwise formed in female socket structure 63 on the surface of the tangs using a press or other device to enable retaining nut 65 to be threaded onto female socket structure 63 .
- retaining nut 65 may have corresponding female threads formed on its inner surface that engage with positive threads on female socket structure 63 .
- Retaining nut 65 may also have driving features circumscribing its outer surface, such as the teeth shown in the figures. It should be appreciated that these teeth may be replaced with six facets like a traditional nut so that a standard wrench may be used to torque it onto the tangs of the receiving portion 63 .
- FIG. 6 B shows the inside surfaces of the coupler 61 and retaining nut 65 while FIG. 6 C shows ball-shaped connector 64 inserted into female socket structure 63 of coupler 61 with retaining nut 65 threaded on to hold assembly 60 together.
- FIGS. 7 A and B shows Y-shaped adapter 50 supporting single-axis tracker 120 with a truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention.
- the adapter 50 sits on a pair of screw anchors 13 driven partially into the ground. Screw anchors 13 terminate in respective couplers 61 that receive ball-shaped connectors 64 to form coupling assembly 60 with the end of each leg portion 52 of adapter 50 . Leg portions meet at central mounting portion 54 that terminates with a web and opposing flanges. Because adapter 50 presents an H-pile interface at the top, it can support many different third-party bottom-up or top-down style single-axis trackers. In FIG.
- a single axis tracker 120 is a bottom-up single-axis tracker, such as that manufactured and sold by Array Technologies, Inc. of Albuquerque, N. Mex., however, other single-axis tracker may be used as well.
- Tracker 120 includes bearing assembly 125 which includes a bearing that receives torque tube 200 .
- torque tube 200 rotates about its own axis within bearing assembly 125 .
- Bearing assembly 125 is bolted with four bolts 128 passing through pre-drilled holes in flanges 127 that overlap with the flanges formed on mounting portion 54 of adapter 50 .
- Solar panels 250 are attached to the torque tube 200 using torque tube brackets or U-bolts that have been omitted from the figure.
- FIGS. 8 A and B show adapter 50 supporting another single-axis tracker 130 according to various embodiments of the invention.
- Adapter 50 is the same as that shown in FIG. 4 . The differences lie in the tracker and related components connected to it.
- Tracker 130 shown here is top-down design such as that manufactured and sold by NEXTracker, Inc. of Fremont, Calif.
- the NEXTracker bearing housing assembly has been replaced with U-shaped bearing support bridge 132 .
- Support bridge 132 has a pair of flanges 134 below it that overlap with the flanges in mounting portion 54 of adapter 50 .
- Bearing plate 135 sits on the top of bearing support bridge 132 .
- Bearing plate 135 includes a central bearing opening 137 that receives a bearing pin from which torque tube 200 is suspended via torque tube bracket 139 to enable it to rotate through an arc as the drive motor moves the torque tube.
- flange portions 134 have vertical slots that enable adjustment of the rotational axis height in the Z-direction (elevation above ground).
- Bearing plate 135 may also have a pair of slots formed in it allowing for adjustment in either the X or Y-directions (North-South or East-West) relative to support bridge 132 . As shown, a pair of bolts project upward out of the U-shaped bearing support bridge 132 on either side of the arc.
- Notch 55 allows insertion of a pry bar or other tool that can be used to elevate the bearing assembly 125 in the Z-direction while keeping it oriented in X and Y-directions, with or without the torque tube in the bearing, to achieve alignment. Once the alignment has been achieved, another worker may tighten down the bolts 128 so that bearing assembly 125 remains at the correct elevation relative to the foundation—in this case, adapter 50 .
- adapter 50 has been modified to include a semi-concave opening 56 at the top of the web in support portion 54 to allow the same. Semi-concave opening 56 may also allow temporary placement of torque tube 200 or torque tube sections so that the bearing components such as bridge 132 can be attached while it is elevated above-ground rather than working down at ground level.
- FIG. 9 shows another adapter 70 for supporting a top-down single-axis tracker according to various embodiments of the invention.
- Adapter 70 has a pair of leg portions 72 , middle portion 74 , and pair of arms 76 .
- leg portions 72 terminate in ball-shaped connectors 64 that are received within receiving portions 62 of couplers 61 attached to the above-ground end of respective screw anchors 11 .
- Retaining nuts 65 trap ball-shaped connectors 64 within receiving portions 62 of couplers 61 to form assembly 60 .
- Adapter 70 also has a pair of arms 76 extending generally opposite to leg portions 72 from middle portion 74 . Arms 76 provide an elevated, flat mounting surface for bearing plate 77 to sit on. Bearing plate 77 may be the same as bearing plate 135 in FIGS. 8 A and B or may be different depending on the geometry of arms 76 . Bearing plate 77 has a bearing opening 78 that receives a bearing pin from which torque tube 200 is hung. As shown, a pair of bolts are received in or extend out of the top of each arm 76 after passing through holes or slots in bearing plate 77 . Arms 76 are spread apart and oriented to provide clearance for torque tube 200 to swing from East to West to keep panels 250 oriented normal to the sun. Adapter 70 may be formed from stamped and/or welded construction. It could be made from a single piece or two identical pieces joined together, such as, for example, with adapter 40 in FIG. 2 B .
- FIGS. 10 A and B show two more Y-shaped adapters 80 , 90 respectively, for supporting a top-down style of tracker according to various embodiments of the invention.
- this adapter has short leg 84 , long leg 82 and curved bearing support 85 with integral bearing 86 .
- bearing 86 is centrally located along the midline of the adapter.
- Adapter 80 connects to respective screw anchors 13 via assembly 60 , in the same manner as that described in the context of the other adapters disclosed herein.
- Adapter 90 of FIG. 10 B is similar to adapter 80 with short leg 94 , long leg 92 , curved bearing support portion 95 and bearing 96 .
- Short leg 94 is hinged to long leg 92 at hinge point 93 to enable adapter 90 to compensate for misalignment of the screw anchors 13 during driving as well as to accommodate different leg angles (e.g., 60-degree, 70-degrees, etc.) and terrain variations. This, combined with the adjustability afforded by connector assembly 60 , will provide several degrees of angular adjustment so that bearing 96 can be aligned with the other bearings in the same row (i.e., along the same torque tube).
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Abstract
Description
- This is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/920,225 filed on Jul. 2, 2020, now U.S. Pat. No. ______, titled “Truss foundation adapters for single-axis trackers,” which claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application No. 62/869,993 filed on Jul. 2, 2019, titled “Truss foundation adapters for single-axis trackers”, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
- Truss foundations have the potential to save steel relative to plumb monopiles because they are able to translate lateral wind loads into axial forces of tension and compression in the legs, and therefore, may be constructed with lighter weight components and embedded to shallower depths. The additional complexity, however, of constructing a multi-component truss may negate some of this advantage. Therefore, to allow A-frame-shaped truss foundations to achieve their full savings potential, the installation process must also be simple. Simplicity, however, must not come at the expense of accuracy. Because a truss constructed from two legs that need to meet at and/or point at a common point in space, it may be necessary to compensate for misalignment of below-ground portions of the truss when connecting the foundational truss components to those that connect to the single-axis tracker. To that end, the various embodiments of the invention provide truss structures that are relative fast and easy to install while still providing angular adjustability between below-ground and above-ground components at their connection points.
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FIG. 1 is a truss foundation supporting a single-axis trackers; -
FIG. 2A is a front view of a Y-shaped truss adapter for single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 2B is a perspective view of another Y-shaped truss adapter for single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 2C is a front view of the Y-shaped truss adapter of 2B; -
FIGS. 3A and 3B are front views of a Y-shaped truss adapter for single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention set to different heights; -
FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another Y-shaped truss adapter for single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 5A is a perspective view of the Y-shaped truss adapter ofFIG. 4 with adjustable screw anchor coupling assembly according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 5B is a partially exploded view of the adjustable screw anchor coupling assembly ofFIG. 5A according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIGS. 6A-C are various views the screw anchor coupling assembly ofFIGS. 5A and 5B according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 7A is a front view of a single axis tracker supported by a Y-shaped truss adapter and truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 7B is a partially exploded close-up view of interface between the single-axis tracker ofFIG. 7A and Y-shaped truss adapter according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 8A is a front view of another single-axis tracker supported by a Y-shaped truss adapter and truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 8B is a partially exploded close-up view of interface between the single-axis tracker ofFIG. 8A and the Y-shaped truss adapter according to various embodiments of the invention; -
FIG. 9 is a front view of another single-axis tracker and double-Y-shaped bearing adapter and truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention; and -
FIGS. 10A and 10B show front views of respective asymmetrical Y-shaped truss adapters for supporting single-axis trackers according to various embodiments of the invention. - The following description is intended to convey a thorough understanding of the embodiments described by providing a number of specific embodiments and details involving truss foundations for single-axis trackers. It should be appreciated, however, that the present invention is not limited to these specific embodiments and details, which are exemplary only. It is further understood that one possessing ordinary skill in the art in light of known systems and methods, would appreciate the use of the invention for its intended purposes and benefits in any number of alternative embodiments, depending upon specific design and other needs.
- Turning to
FIG. 1 , this figure shows atruss foundation system 10 for a single-axis tracker that uses a pair ofadjacent truss legs 12 extending above and below ground. In this system, a pair ofadjacent screw anchors 13 have been driven into underlying ground so that their respective above-ground ends are angled or leaning towards one another. Typically, several of these adjacent screw anchor pairs would be driven along an intended North-South oriented single-axis tracker row. Eachscrew anchor 13 has a thread form extending from its below ground end along a portion of its length and terminates terminate indriving coupler 14 that is splined or otherwise shaped to mate with the head of a rotary driver so that torque and down force can be imparted to it during driving. Then, a pair ofupper legs 15 are joined to screwanchors 13 viacouplers 14. In this exemplary system,adapter 20 joins the free ends of eachupper leg 15. - As shown,
adapter 20 has amain body portion 22 and a pair of connectingportions 24. In various embodiments, connectingportions 24 may consist of tubular portions having a smaller outside diameter than the inside diameter ofupper leg sections 15 so that they can be inserted into the open end of respective ones ofupper legs 15 to make rigid A-frame-shapedtruss foundation structure 10. Single-axistracker bearing assembly 100 sits on and is attached tomain body portion 22 oftruss adapter 20.Bearing assembly 100 includes a circular bearing that receivestorque tube 200. In various embodiments,anchors 13,upper legs 15 and connectingportions 24 are oriented so that the truss legs are separated by an angle in a range of 35-degrees up to 80-degrees corresponding to truss leg angles of 72.5 degrees down to 50-degrees. Crimp joints may be used to secureupper legs 15 to drivingcoupler 14 and to connectingportions 24 ofadapter 20. - As discussed in the background, truss foundations are advantageous relative to monopiles because they translate lateral wind loads into axial forces of tension and compression rather than bending. Because individual structural members are good at resisting axial loads relative to their ability to resist bending, smaller foundation components may be used to support the same tracker. In the system shown in
FIG. 1 , it is important thatscrew anchors 13 are properly oriented when driven so thatadapter 20 can support bearingassembly 100 at the correct orientation and position to receivetorque tube 200. Although having two-piece legs allows for adjustability at the interface betweenanchors 13 andupper legs 15 as well as between theupper legs 13 andadapter 20, it also adds time and complexity to the installation. To address this issue, various embodiments replace the two-piece truss legs and adapter with a single pair ofscrew anchors 13 and universal adapter that combines the functionality of theupper legs 13 andadapter 15 shown inFIG. 1 . This is seen, for example, inFIG. 2A . -
FIG. 2A is a front view of a generic, universal Y-shapedadapter 30 for use with a truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention.Adapter 30 may be cast, stamped, or welded. It has central mountingportion 34 andlegs 32 extending away from mountingportion 34 that are generally symmetric about a midline through central mountingportion 34. Mountingportion 34 may have two or more slots formed in the web region between flanges and may also have one or slots formed in the opposing flanges on either side the web region, though not visible in the front view of 2A. In various embodiments,legs portions 32 are joined to screwanchors 13 via drivingcouplers 14. Drivingcouplers 14 may be attached to above-ground ends of screw anchors 13 to provide an interface for a rotary driver as well as mechanism to attachadapter 30. In various embodiments,leg portions 32 may terminate in tubular coupler portions as withadapter 20 shown inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 2B is a perspective view of another universal Y-shapedadapter 40 according to various embodiments of the invention.Adapter 40 is also shown as being formed from a pair of Y-shaped sections re either spot welded or bolted together so that they have substantially the same geometry on either side, however, the specific construction is a design choice. Y-shapedadapter 40 also has central mountingportion 44 andleg portions 42 that extend downward and away from central mountingportion 44. Opposing flanges circumscribe the entire body to provide stiffness as well as a mounting surface for flange-mounted tracker components. In various embodiments, mounting holes may pass through the web of the central mountingportion 44. Additionally, mounting holes may pass through flanges portions circumscribing mountingportion 44.FIG. 2C is a front view ofadapter 40 shown in 2B showing the substantially symmetric geometry. - Turning to
FIGS. 3A and 3B , these figures showadapter 40 ofFIGS. 2B /C attached to screwanchor foundations 13. Starting with 3A,adapter 40 is sitting on screw anchors 13 to present mounting portion at height H1 for the tracker bearing components. Unlike the foundation system shown inFIG. 1 , additional above-ground upper legs portions are not needed. Rather, the mounting height is set by the length of screw anchors 13 as well as their depth of the embedment. For a given embedment depth, longer screw anchors may be used to raise the mounting height. For example,FIG. 3B shows the same Y-shapedadapter 40 of 3A set on longer screw anchors 11 that have been driven so that a greater length remains above ground. This will require driving the anchors into the ground at a greater distance apart so that the straight-line distance between their terminal above-ground ends remains the same. In this case, the resultant mounting height is raised to H2, a distance greater than H1. -
FIG. 4 shows another Y-shapeduniversal adapter 50 according to various embodiments of the invention. Rather than having a continuous flange circumscribing its outer edge,adapter 50 presents an H-pile like geometry at its central mountingportion 54. Central mountingportion 54 includes preformed slots in the web and flange portions for attaching to various bearing assemblies of single-axis trackers. The distal end of eachleg portion 52 includes flanges to create a larger surface area to mount to mountingplate 51 attached to the end of eachscrew anchor 11. In various embodiments,plates 51 may be used instead of drivingcouplers 14 shown inFIG. 1 . In such cases, the rotary driver used to drive screw anchors 11 into the ground may have a set of projections that fit within openings formed in mountingplate 51. In this example, mountingplates 51 have a plurality of mounting slots to ensure that one will line up with corresponding slots and/or openings at the distal end ofleg portions 52 ofadapter 50. - Turning now to
FIGS. 5A and 5B , like the adapter shown inFIG. 4 , these figure show universal Y-shapedadapter 50 that presents an H-pile like geometry at the central mounting 54 with flange and web mounting slots. However, unlike the adapter shown inFIG. 4 , this adapter includes ball-shapedconnectors 64 that are welded, bolted, or otherwise attached to terminal ends 53 of eachleg portion 52. Ball-shapedconnectors 64 are designed to fit into reciprocal sockets formed in drivingcoupler 61 affixed to the end of screw anchors 13. Together, ball-shapedconnector 64,coupler 61 and retainingnut 65 make upadjustable coupling assembly 60 that allows angular articulation within the socket, between components. -
FIG. 5B shows specific details of acoupling assembly 60 interconnectingleg portions 52 ofadapter 50 to screw anchors 13. As shown, the above-ground end of eachscrew anchor 13 includescoupler 61.Coupler 61 provides a splined tool surface 62 for a rotary driver to selectively engage with to driveanchors 13 into the ground. It also provides a female socket structure 63 to receive ball-shapedconnectors 64. Then, retainingnut 65 is torqued down over socket structure 63 andconnectors 64 to lock universal Y-shapedadapter 50 toanchors 13 at the desired angular orientation. In various embodiments, female socket structure 63 will have external threads and openings to enable it to expand to receive ball shapedconnectors 64 and retract under the compressive pressure of retainingnut 65. -
FIGS. 6A /B/C show close-up views ofcoupling assembly 60 at various stages of engagement. Starting with 6A, this figure is an exploded view of a portion ofcoupling system 60. As shown, drivingcoupler 61 includes a series of driving features (splined tool surface 62) that circumscribe the outer surface of the coupler. In various embodiments,coupler 61 is welded or otherwise attached to the end ofscrew anchor 13. These driving features are positively engaged by a driving head or chuck of a rotary driver to transfer rotational force to the screw anchor to cause it to screw into the ground. After the desired depth has been reached, the rotary driver is backed off, leaving behind female socket structure 63 ofcoupler 61. Female socket structure 63 includes several tangs arranged in a tubular pattern projecting upward away from the driving features of tool surface 62. In various embodiments, tangs are formed by cutting slots at regular intervals into the receiving portion 63. Cutting tangs allows the coupler to elastically deform when ball-shapedconnector 64 is pressed into the receiving portion, in this example, female socket structure 63. In addition, a positive thread form is stamped otherwise formed in female socket structure 63 on the surface of the tangs using a press or other device to enable retainingnut 65 to be threaded onto female socket structure 63. In various embodiments, retainingnut 65 may have corresponding female threads formed on its inner surface that engage with positive threads on female socket structure 63. Retainingnut 65 may also have driving features circumscribing its outer surface, such as the teeth shown in the figures. It should be appreciated that these teeth may be replaced with six facets like a traditional nut so that a standard wrench may be used to torque it onto the tangs of the receiving portion 63.FIG. 6B shows the inside surfaces of thecoupler 61 and retainingnut 65 whileFIG. 6C shows ball-shapedconnector 64 inserted into female socket structure 63 ofcoupler 61 with retainingnut 65 threaded on to holdassembly 60 together. - Turning to
FIGS. 7A and B, these figures shows Y-shapedadapter 50 supporting single-axis tracker 120 with a truss foundation according to various embodiments of the invention. Theadapter 50 sits on a pair of screw anchors 13 driven partially into the ground. Screw anchors 13 terminate inrespective couplers 61 that receive ball-shapedconnectors 64 to formcoupling assembly 60 with the end of eachleg portion 52 ofadapter 50. Leg portions meet at central mountingportion 54 that terminates with a web and opposing flanges. Becauseadapter 50 presents an H-pile interface at the top, it can support many different third-party bottom-up or top-down style single-axis trackers. InFIG. 7A , asingle axis tracker 120 is a bottom-up single-axis tracker, such as that manufactured and sold by Array Technologies, Inc. of Albuquerque, N. Mex., however, other single-axis tracker may be used as well.Tracker 120 includes bearingassembly 125 which includes a bearing that receivestorque tube 200. In this tracker,torque tube 200 rotates about its own axis within bearingassembly 125.Bearing assembly 125 is bolted with fourbolts 128 passing through pre-drilled holes inflanges 127 that overlap with the flanges formed on mountingportion 54 ofadapter 50.Solar panels 250 are attached to thetorque tube 200 using torque tube brackets or U-bolts that have been omitted from the figure. -
FIGS. 8A and B showadapter 50 supporting another single-axis tracker 130 according to various embodiments of the invention.Adapter 50 is the same as that shown inFIG. 4 . The differences lie in the tracker and related components connected to it.Tracker 130 shown here is top-down design such as that manufactured and sold by NEXTracker, Inc. of Fremont, Calif. In this example, the NEXTracker bearing housing assembly has been replaced with U-shapedbearing support bridge 132.Support bridge 132 has a pair offlanges 134 below it that overlap with the flanges in mountingportion 54 ofadapter 50.Bearing plate 135 sits on the top of bearingsupport bridge 132.Bearing plate 135 includes a central bearing opening 137 that receives a bearing pin from whichtorque tube 200 is suspended viatorque tube bracket 139 to enable it to rotate through an arc as the drive motor moves the torque tube. In various embodiments,flange portions 134 have vertical slots that enable adjustment of the rotational axis height in the Z-direction (elevation above ground).Bearing plate 135 may also have a pair of slots formed in it allowing for adjustment in either the X or Y-directions (North-South or East-West) relative to supportbridge 132. As shown, a pair of bolts project upward out of the U-shapedbearing support bridge 132 on either side of the arc. - With either monopile or truss foundations, one problem that must be solved at each foundation location along the torque tube is bearing alignment in the Z or vertical direction with respect to the other bearings in the row and/or with respect to an intended bearing height. Vertical adjustment ability is usually provided via slots in either the foundation flanges or web or in the bearing components that are attached to them. However, these components must still be elevated in order to take advantage of this adjustability. To that end,
adapter 50 shown inFIG. 7B has been modified to incorporatenotch 55 intop portion 54 ofadapter 50.Notch 55 allows insertion of a pry bar or other tool that can be used to elevate the bearingassembly 125 in the Z-direction while keeping it oriented in X and Y-directions, with or without the torque tube in the bearing, to achieve alignment. Once the alignment has been achieved, another worker may tighten down thebolts 128 so that bearingassembly 125 remains at the correct elevation relative to the foundation—in this case,adapter 50. Similarly, inFIG. 10B ,adapter 50 has been modified to include asemi-concave opening 56 at the top of the web insupport portion 54 to allow the same.Semi-concave opening 56 may also allow temporary placement oftorque tube 200 or torque tube sections so that the bearing components such asbridge 132 can be attached while it is elevated above-ground rather than working down at ground level. -
FIG. 9 shows anotheradapter 70 for supporting a top-down single-axis tracker according to various embodiments of the invention.Adapter 70 has a pair ofleg portions 72,middle portion 74, and pair ofarms 76. As withadapters leg portions 72 terminate in ball-shapedconnectors 64 that are received within receiving portions 62 ofcouplers 61 attached to the above-ground end of respective screw anchors 11. Retainingnuts 65 trap ball-shapedconnectors 64 within receiving portions 62 ofcouplers 61 to formassembly 60. -
Adapter 70 also has a pair ofarms 76 extending generally opposite toleg portions 72 frommiddle portion 74.Arms 76 provide an elevated, flat mounting surface for bearingplate 77 to sit on.Bearing plate 77 may be the same as bearingplate 135 inFIGS. 8A and B or may be different depending on the geometry ofarms 76.Bearing plate 77 has a bearing opening 78 that receives a bearing pin from whichtorque tube 200 is hung. As shown, a pair of bolts are received in or extend out of the top of eacharm 76 after passing through holes or slots in bearingplate 77.Arms 76 are spread apart and oriented to provide clearance fortorque tube 200 to swing from East to West to keeppanels 250 oriented normal to the sun.Adapter 70 may be formed from stamped and/or welded construction. It could be made from a single piece or two identical pieces joined together, such as, for example, withadapter 40 inFIG. 2B . - Turning now to
FIGS. 10A and B, these figures show two more Y-shapedadapters adapter 80 shown inFIG. 11A , this adapter hasshort leg 84,long leg 82 and curved bearingsupport 85 withintegral bearing 86. Althoughadapter 80 has an asymmetric geometry, bearing 86 is centrally located along the midline of the adapter.Adapter 80 connects to respective screw anchors 13 viaassembly 60, in the same manner as that described in the context of the other adapters disclosed herein. In various embodiments, it may be necessary to alternate the orientation of adapters along a single torque tube row so that some of the curvedbearing support portions 85 face East and others face West. This will enablecurved support portions 85 to function as a rotational stop for the suspended torque tube. -
Adapter 90 ofFIG. 10B is similar toadapter 80 withshort leg 94,long leg 92, curved bearingsupport portion 95 andbearing 96.Short leg 94 is hinged tolong leg 92 athinge point 93 to enableadapter 90 to compensate for misalignment of the screw anchors 13 during driving as well as to accommodate different leg angles (e.g., 60-degree, 70-degrees, etc.) and terrain variations. This, combined with the adjustability afforded byconnector assembly 60, will provide several degrees of angular adjustment so that bearing 96 can be aligned with the other bearings in the same row (i.e., along the same torque tube). - The embodiments of the present inventions are not to be limited in scope by the specific embodiments described herein. Indeed, various modifications of the embodiments of the present inventions, in addition to those described herein, will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art from the foregoing description and accompanying drawings. Thus, such modifications are intended to fall within the scope of the following appended claims. Further, although some of the embodiments of the present invention have been described herein in the context of a particular implementation in a particular environment for a particular purpose, those of ordinary skill in the art will recognize that its usefulness is not limited thereto and that the embodiments of the present inventions can be beneficially implemented in any number of environments for any number of purposes. Accordingly, the claims set forth below should be construed in view of the full breath and spirit of the embodiments of the present inventions as disclosed herein.
Claims (15)
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US16/920,225 US11505943B2 (en) | 2019-07-02 | 2020-07-02 | Truss foundation adapters for single-axis trackers |
US17/968,585 US20230041281A1 (en) | 2019-07-02 | 2022-10-18 | Truss foundation adapters for single-axis trackers |
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US11505943B2 (en) * | 2019-07-02 | 2022-11-22 | Ojjo, Inc. | Truss foundation adapters for single-axis trackers |
WO2021087151A1 (en) * | 2019-10-29 | 2021-05-06 | Ojjo, Inc. | Adjustable bearing supports for single-axis trackers |
AU2021340899A1 (en) | 2020-09-14 | 2023-04-27 | Nextracker Llc | Support frames for solar trackers |
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